My favorite mechanical invention of the 20th Century is the snowblower. Not only does it save us time and sore backs, but it's fun to use. I often go up and down the sidewalk on my street until my little Toro runs out of gas.

I read the manual when I got the snowblower five years ago but since then, I haven't thought much about safety, efficiency or maintenance of my machine. The Family Handyman magazine's most recent issue — December/January — has some tips I found useful. Maybe you will, too.

If a big storm is enroute, start cleaning before the snow reaches six inches. Your machine's engine won't have to work as hard and it will throw the snow further so you won't have high banks on the edge of your driveway.

Don't throw the snow partway off the drive and then blow it a second time. That creates a heavier load. Instead, get a good distance throw by taking smaller bites of snow, running the blower at full rpm but slower ground speed, adjusting the chute as high as it will go, and blowing with the wind.

Before you snowblow — before it snows, even — look around and get garden hoses, rocks and anything else off the area you'll be clearing.

Make sure holiday light cords don't get in the way, either. And watch for the newspapers — they're the leading cause of snowblower jams.

Old gasoline, says Handyman, is the biggest reason it's hard to start some snowblowers. Don't use the gas left in the lawn mower can — that's summer blend. Pour that in your car and get fresh gas for the snowblower.

Take bites smaller than the width of your snowblower, especially if the snow is wet and heavy. That will prevent clogs and enable your machine to throw the snow further.

I'd check the manual before doing this, but Handyman suggests switching to synthetic oil. The reason: Traditional motor oil thickens when it's cold, making it harder to reach the rpm level needed to start. With synthetic oil, you should be able to start the blower with fewer pulls of the cord.

Have your snowblower checked out at a repair shop. If you maintain it yourself, install a new sparkplug, change the oil and check the belts. Replace them if they are frayed or have missing chunks.

Buy parts now. Chances are your blower will need a new part some dark, windy Sunday night. If you fix it yourself, keep a few spare pins and belts around.

Be nice and help your neighbors out, too, especially those without snowblowers of their own. That last idea is from me, not the magazine.